study of pegcetacoplan (apl-2) therapy in patients with geographic atrophy

Conditions: Geographic Atrophy

Summary: the primary objectives of the study are to assess the safety, tolerability and evidence of activity of multiple intravitreal (ivt) injections of pegcetacoplan in subjects with geographic atrophy associated with age-related macular degeneration (amd).

this is a phase ii, prospective, multicenter, randomized, single-masked, sham-controlled study to assess the safety, tolerability and evidence of activity of multiple ivt injections of pegcetacoplan in subjects with ga secondary to age-related macular degeneration. the study will randomize approximately 240 subjects to obtain at least 200 evaluable subjects across 40 multinational sites. subjects will be randomized in a 2:2:1:1 manner to receive pegcetacoplan monthly (am), pegcetacoplan every-other-month (aeom), sham injection monthly (sm) or sham injection every-other-month (seom), respectively. all subjects will return to the clinical site on day 7 to assess acute safety after the first injection. after that, subjects in the monthly groups will return to the clinical site for additional pegcetacoplan (or sham) injections and study procedures every month until month 12. subjects in the every-other-month groups will return to the clinical site for additional pegcetacoplan (or sham) injections and study procedures every two months until month 12. all subjects will return for follow-up visits on months 15 and 18 (3 and 6 months after last injection, respectively).

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: unless specified otherwise, ocular specific inclusion criteria apply to the study eye only. 1. male or female. 2. age greater than or equal to 50 years. 3. bcva of 20/320 (snellen equivalent) or better using etdrs charts. 4. diagnosis of ga of the macula secondary to age-related macular degeneration, confirmed within 14 days prior to randomization by the central reading center (crc) using fundus autofluorescence (faf) images, as well as the following criteria: 1. total ga area must be ≥ 2.5 and ≤ 17.5 mm2 (1 and 7 disk areas \[da\] respectively), determined by screening images of faf. 2. if ga is multifocal, at least one focal lesion must be ≥ 1.25 mm2 (0.5 da). 3. ga can be completely visualized on the macula centered image. 4. ga must be able to be photographed in its entirety. 5. ga must be able to be measured separately from any areas of peripapillary atrophy as assessed by the crc. 6. presence of any pattern of hyperautofluorescence in the junctional zone of ga. absence of hyperautoflouorescence (i.e. pattern = none) is exclusionary. see holz et al. 2007.1 5. female subjects must be: 1. women of non-child-bearing potential (woncbp), or 2. women of child-bearing potential (wocbp) with a negative pregnancy test at screening and must agree to use protocol defined methods of contraception for the duration of the study. 6. males with female partners of child-bearing potential must agree to use protocol defined methods of contraception and agree to refrain from donating sperm for the duration of the study. 7. willing and able to give informed consent. exclusion criteria: unless specified otherwise, ocular specific inclusion criteria apply to the study eye only. 1. ga due to causes other than amd such as stargardt disease, cone rod dystrophy or toxic maculopathies like plaquenil maculopathy. 2. spherical equivalent of the refractive error demonstrating \> 6 diopters of myopia or an axial length \>26 mm. 3. any history or current evidence of exudative ("wet") amd including any evidence of retinal pigment epithelium rips or evidence of neovascularization anywhere in the retina based on fluorescein angiogram as assessed by the crc. 4. retinal disease other than amd; however, benign conditions of the vitreous or peripheral retina are not exclusionary (i.e. pavingstone degeneration). 5. any ophthalmologic condition that reduces the clarity of the media and that, in the opinion of the investigator interferes with ophthalmologic examination (e.g. advanced cataract or corneal abnormalities). 6. any ophthalmologic condition that prevents adequate imaging of the retina judged by the site or crc. 7. intraocular surgery (including lens replacement surgery) within 3 months prior to randomization. 8. aphakia or absence of the posterior capsule. previous violation of the posterior capsule is also excluded unless it occurred as a result of yttrium aluminum garnet (yag) laser posterior capsulotomy in association with prior posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation and at least 60 days prior to day 0. 9. any ophthalmic condition that may require surgery during the study period. 10. any contraindication to ivt injection including current ocular or periocular infection. 11. history of uveitis or endophthalmitis. 12. history of ivt injection at any time. 13. participation in another interventional clinical study, or use of any experimental treatment for amd or any other investigational new drug within 6 weeks or 5 half-lives of the active (whichever is longer) prior to the start of study treatment. note: clinical trials solely involving observation, over-the-counter vitamins, supplements, or diets are not exclusionary. 14. medical or psychiatric conditions that, in the opinion of the investigator, make consistent follow-up over the treatment period unlikely, or in general a poor medical risk because of other systemic diseases or active uncontrolled infections. 15. any screening laboratory value (hematology, serum chemistry or urinalysis) that in the opinion of the investigator is clinically significant and not suitable for study participation. 16. hypersensitivity to fluorescein.